The Kogi State Government has commenced the disbursement of N646.8 million in bursary allowances to 20,347 verified students of tertiary institutions across the country under the second season of the Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo Student Support Scheme.
The disbursement was launched on Thursday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Lokoja, during an event tagged “Gov. Ododo Students Support Season 2.”
Speaking on behalf of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, commended the National Association of Kogi State Students, NAKOSS, for its patience and peaceful conduct during the delay in the disbursement.
Jones said education received the highest allocation in the state budget, accounting for 30 per cent, describing the allocation as an indication of the administration’s priority for the sector.
The Commissioner described the increase in beneficiaries from about 8,000 in Season One to more than 20,000 in Season Two as a significant expansion of the bursary programme, while urging students to take advantage of the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, scheme.
The Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Scholarship Board, Afolabi Joseph-Raji, said the administration revived the state’s bursary scheme, which was last paid in 2019, and recommenced payments in 2024.
Joseph-Raji said the administration increased the bursary from N12,000 to N30,000 for undergraduates, while medical students would receive N75,000 each, compared with the previous N18,000.
He added that the Governor had also abolished the N650 scratch-card fee previously required to access the bursary portal, making the application process free, paperless, online and transparent.
The Chairman said that during the 2024/2025 academic session, the Board disbursed N256.4 million to 8,549 undergraduates at N30,000 each, while N60.3 million was paid to Law School students at N300,000 each.
He explained that 20,347 students had now been screened and verified for the 2025/2026 bursary, with the total financial commitment standing at N646.8 million.
According to him, the disbursement would be made in phases, with the first tranche of N403 million covering 13,157 students studying in tertiary institutions within Kogi State, while students in more than 300 institutions outside the state would be captured in the second tranche.
Responding on behalf of the students, outgoing President of NAKOSS, Sunday Simon, thanked Governor Ododo for the intervention, saying it demonstrated the administration’s commitment to students’ welfare.
